Vectran is a manufactured fiber, spun from a liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) created by Celanese Corporation and now manufactured by Kuraray. Chemically it is an

aromatic In organic chemistry, aromaticity is a chemical property describing the way in which a conjugated system, conjugated ring of unsaturated bonds, lone pairs, or empty orbitals exhibits a stabilization stronger than would be expected from conjugati ...

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

produced by the polycondensation of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid.

Properties

Advantages

Vectran's golden fibers are noted for their thermal stability at high temperatures, high strength and modulus, low creep, and good chemical stability. They are moisture-resistant and generally stable in hostile environments.

Polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

coating is often used around a Vectran core;

polyurethane Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) is a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethane term ...

coating can improve abrasion resistance and act as a water barrier. Vectran has a melting point of 330 °C, with progressive strength loss from 220 °C.

Disadvantages

Although the tensile strength is similar to

Kevlar Kevlar (para-aramid) is a strong, heat-resistant synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed by Stephanie Kwolek at DuPont in 1965, the high-strength material was first used commercially in the early 1970s as ...

, Vectran still tends to experience tensile fractures when exposed to significant stress. The wispy, hair-like fibers tend to fray, to easily acquire dirt, and to readily entangle in

hook-and-loop fastener Hook-and-loop fasteners, commonly known as Velcro (a Generic trademark, genericized trademark), hook-and-pile fasteners or touch fasteners are versatile fastening devices that allow two surfaces to be repeatedly attached and detached with ease ...

s, from which they must sometimes then be cut or (when possible) torn. If used without protective coatings, Vectran has low resistance to UV degradation, and should not be used long-term in outdoor environments.

Usage

Vectran fibers are used as reinforcing (matrix) fibers for

rope A rope is a group of yarns, Plying, plies, fibres, or strands that are plying, twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have high tensile strength and can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger ...

electrical cable Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

s, sailcloth, and advanced

composite material A composite or composite material (also composition material) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a ...

s, professional bike tires, and in electronics applications. It is used as one of the layers in the softgoods structure of NASA's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (spacesuit) designed and manufactured by

ILC Dover ILC Dover is a special engineering development and manufacturing company, globally headquartered in Frederica, Delaware. It specializes in the use of high-performance flexible materials, serving the aerospace manufacturer, aerospace, personal pr ...

and was the fabric used for all of the airbag landings on Mars:

Mars Pathfinder ''Mars Pathfinder'' was an American robotic spacecraft that landed a base station with a rover (space exploration), roving probe on Mars in 1997. It consisted of a Lander (spacecraft), lander, renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station, and a ligh ...

in 1997Vectran Fiber -- Roll Goods and Custom Applications
Warwick Mills, "woven Vectran to strengthen fabric for use nNASA's Pathfinder mission to Mars", accessed 2010-03-04. and on the twin

Mars Exploration Rover NASA's Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission was a robotic space mission involving two Mars rovers, ''Spirit (rover), Spirit'' and ''Opportunity (rover), Opportunity'', exploring the planet Mars. It began in 2003 with the launch of the two rove ...

s ''Spirit'' and ''Opportunity'' missions in 2004, also designed and manufactured by

.Vectran Product Properties and Applications -- Industrial/Military/Aerospace
"The success of the athfinderlanding has led to the selection of this same technology using Vectran fiber for two additional rover landings in 2004.", accessed 2010-03-04. The material was used again on NASA's 2011

Mars Science Laboratory Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is a robotic spacecraft, robotic space probe mission to Mars launched by NASA on November 26, 2011, which successfully landed ''Curiosity (rover), Curiosity'', a Mars rover, in Gale (crater), Gale Crater on Augus ...

in the bridle cables. Vectran is a key component of a line of inflatable spacecraft developed by Bigelow Aerospace,Inflatable space module puffs up
Jonathan Fildes, BBC News, 14 Jul 2006 not only on two stations which are in orbit but also the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module which

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

is testing for its radiation shielding and thermal control capabilities.NASA turned on by blow-up space stations
Paul Marks, ''

New Scientist ''New Scientist'' is a popular science magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organ ...

'', 2010-03-03, accessed 2010-03-03. The

United States Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the Interior minister, interior, Home Secretary ...

is sponsoring development of an inflatable plug made of Vectran to prevent flooding in

New York City Subway The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...

tunnels and for other tunnels in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, as it is strong but relatively inexpensive, and not edible for

rats Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...

. Vectran fiber is also used in manufacturing badminton strings such as

Yonex is a Japanese sports equipment manufacturing company. Yonex produces equipment and apparel for tennis, badminton, golf, and running. Its range of products manufactured and commercialized includes equipment for badminton and tennis ( rackets, s ...

BG-85 and BG-80. Vectran is also used in the manufacturing of Carlton Vapour Trail badminton rackets. Vectran is used as a puncture protection layer in Continental Bicycle tyres such as the Grand Prix 5000, Competition tubular (single layer) and Grand Prix 4 season (two layers). Vectran does not increase rolling resistance or downgrade casing performance.

Production

Kuraray Co., Ltd. began manufacturing Vectran in 1990. , Kuraray has owned 100% of the worldwide Vectran production since 2005 when they acquired the Vectran business from Celanese Advanced Materials Inc. (CAMI), based in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

The total capacity of Vectran expanded from about 600

ton Ton is any of several units of measure of mass, volume or force. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. As a unit of mass, ''ton'' can mean: * the '' long ton'', which is * the ''tonne'', also called the ''metric ...

s/yr in 2007 to 1000 tons/yr in 2008.

References

External links

Vectran official site

Kuraray official site

Vectran , Engineering Data by SWICOFIL

Vectran fiber weaver

long fibre spun yarn

* https://www.continental-tires.com/bicycle/technology/city-trekking/vectran {{Fibers Polyesters Synthetic fibers Brand name materials Kuraray